The NFL’s new anthem policy has received a great deal of backlash, but another idea previously considered by owners also would have faced some opposition. Team owners considered a 15-yard penalty against teams that partake in anthem protests, but that move wouldn’t have necessarily gone over well with the league’s officials.
“It would not be in my DNA to throw a flag on someone for their personal protest regardless of whether or not I agreed with them,” former ref Mike Pereira told Robert Klemko of Sports Illustrated (Twitter link).
Meanwhile, players are up in arms about the policy that was enacted on Wednesday. Klemko hears (Twitter link) that players who weren’t planning demonstrations for next season are now discussing ways to skirt the new rules “just to spite the NFL.”
More from around the football world:
- President Donald Trump weighed in on the NFL’s new anthem policy shortly after it was announced. “You have to stand proudly for the National Anthem. You shouldn’t be playing, you shouldn’t be there. Maybe they shouldn’t be in the country…the NFL owners did the right thing,” Trump said (Twitter link via FOX News). It remains to be seen whether Trump will continue to stir the pot on an issue that threatens the league’s bottom line and its relationship with players.
- The NFL used a polling firm to gauge public opinion on Colin Kaepernick “four months into” his 2017 free agency, Charles Robinson of Yahoo Sports hears. The firm polled fans on other NFL-related topics – including domestic violence, gambling, player protests, and player safety – but Kaepernick was the only player singled out in the research for specific opinions. The development could have an impact on Kaepernick’s ongoing collusion case against the league.
- Johnny Manziel is likely to serve as the backup quarterback for the CFL’s Tiger-Cats, coach June Jones says (via Mike Rodak of ESPN.com). Barring something unforeseen, Jones expects to use former Oregon and Mississippi QB Jeremiah Masoli as his starter throughout the year. If that plan holds up, it would be a fairly significant barrier to Manziel’s planned NFL comeback. Then again, Manziel likely won’t be in the NFL conversation anytime soon after signing a binding two-year deal with Hamilton.
Trump cucked the SJW NFL players #legend
So much stupidity in this short post.
He literally said stand up you SOB and they have to comply or daddy will take away their paycheck. Legendary!
Calm down, Pepe
SJW and SOB. Wow. Looks like somebody’s gone to Donald Trump’s boot camp for how to act like you’re cool and alt-right. I’m guessing you’re likely going to respond to this by calling me “snowflake”, or ”liberal cuck”, too. Why don’t you try using words and phrases with actual meaning?
That’s funny coming from a leftist. You people misuse words on a daily basis. Tell me why don’t you try defining immigrant, alien, illegal, undocumented, racist, bigot, ignorant, educated… chances are you can’t define a single one of these words properly. Stupid snowflake 😉
Nobody said I was a leftist. I’m not, honestly. And I guarantee I could define every single one of those words just fine. Possibly even better than you could. But then again, you likely believe you’re better than I am, and that you know more than me. Ignorance is bliss though, right?
Oh the glory days! Remember when we Americans could respectfully disagree and still stand together? Neither do I.
What’s always amazed me is how people point to America’s freedom of speech as one of the things that makes America the “greatest” country, but as soon as someone says something they don’t agree with, they’re all for having that person’s right to speak taken away
Totally agree with your comment, tharrie0820!
But most people don’t know the true meaning of freedom of speech! You can’t just say anything you want in any situation ! There are always repercussions to your actions!
True. You can’t yell fire in a crowded theater without consequences.
Thats because freedom of speech only pertains to one political group.
America no longer has free speech. Libel laws and “hate speech” laws mean your speech is already controlled and limited. Try calling a transvestite by their actual gender in California.
Their actual gender is whichever one they claim. But before you say, “That’s exactly what I mean!!”, I’ll do it for you. That way you can read what I said instead of avoiding the actual topic. Educate yourself and stop blaming society’s progression for your inability to treat people the way they want to be treated.
What amazes me is that people can’t understand that the first amendment applies to the gov’t and its restrictions of speech. That means that you cannot be jailed or face legal consequences from your speech, regardless of your personal beliefs or thoughts. However, free speech does not apply to private entities. If a company hires you and in your contract it says you cannot say the word “yellow” on Thursdays, and you say “Yellow” on Thursday they can fire you. Same goes for “protests” and the NFL. If the league and its owners do not want its employees protesting (for ANY cause) during their time, it is their right to restrict that free speech/expression.
No matter what side of this issue you side on, Tom is right here. The first Amendment is between you and your Government, not you and (any) private entities.
Except the government (Trump) is trying to get involved. or do you really believe his tweets have had absolutely no effect on the NFLs decision process?
And maybe you missed the quote in the article from Trump? yaknow, the whole “you have to stand proudly for the national anthem. if not, you shouldn’t be in the country”
Every citizen, including high profile ones such as the President, as granted First Amendment rights to speak their mind. Trump is granted the freedom to say/tweet his thoughts on players/people not standing for the anthem, and just because he may believe that those people should not be in the country he cannot make them leave if they are legally permitted to be here.
We are a gov’t of the people, by the people, and for the people, which means every one of us, regardless of position or power, or lack thereof, are granted the same constitutional protections.
Amen!
EXACTLY ! Finally somebody knows what they are talking about !
I don’t know many people that disagree with the players right to express their opinions. However, I do know many people that disagree with them doing it at the workplace which seemed to cost their bosses money. The owners have every right to ask them to stop doing it if it’s costing them money. If I was to go around using profanity at my workplace I’d be fired on the spot. Can’t always say what you want to say or do what you want to do especially at work. I think it’s pretty simple.
Thats because freedom of speech protects you from the govt , not the workplace.
Let’s be real, nutznboltz, people are ANGRY at those players who kneel during the national anthem because they are kneeling during the national anthem. They are not angry at them for costing their bosses, the team owners, any money. They may argue that workers have no right to protest on the job, but that is not the root of their being pissed off at Kaepernick, Reid, et all.
I doubt too many of the folks who call Kaepernick a POS, etc. for disrespecting the flag and veterans would have gotten angry at Matt Birk for skipping the traditional NFL champions’ trip to the White House because he’s anti-abortion and Obama supported Planned Parenthood. Birk emphasized that he respected the office of the Presidency, and Kaepernick and Co. have emphasized that they meant no disrespect to veterans, so what’s the difference, aside from the fact that the annual Super Bowl winners’ trip to the White House is a silly photo-op?
I never said people were angry at the players for costing the owners money. People watch football to watch football. I know I do. I couldn’t care less about players political beliefs and don’t need to see them demonstrate them.
Then you and everyone else who feel the same way can ignore them. God knows I ignore 99% of what celebrities and professional athletes say. But that doesn’t mean one of them should lose not just their job but their career for demonstrating those beliefs in about the least disruptive and least disrespectful manner ever found to demonstrate them.
All I say is that they need to do it on their own time. That’s not too hard to understand.
If the owners don’t want to hire somebody because they will protest during their hours of employment they have every right not to.
I can’t do it at my job why should they be able to?
But they picked the wrong place
and the wrong forum in which to protest! It placed the emphasis on themselves , instead of the rightful agenda like it should’ve been done in the first place. It should’ve been done different
and in a different environment !
How come the NBA’s Rule doesn’t seem to be much of an issue?